Navigating Through “Productivity Anxiety” One Step at a Time

For many of us, life during the pandemic is equivalent to excess time and energy, which often leads to a trail of thoughts and questions like: “Shouldn’t I be more productive? Why am I not getting more work done when I don’t even leave the house?”

However, upon entering the pandemic, one thing we know for sure is that bizarre occurrences are now the new normal. Sometimes, you might just want to spend the day contemplating life or laying in bed, and that’s completely fine! Yet, more often than not, it leads to the next stage of the cycle: the guilty feeling that creeps on you when you start thinking about the unreasonable amount of time you just wasted, not checking things off your to-do list.

This brings us to this topic of ‘productivity anxiety.’ While the depth of this feeling varies for each person, we understand how difficult it is, and hence want to share with you some tips and tricks that would help you overcome this horrible feeling. 

What should you do?

The first step would be to understand your limitations and recognise that treating and taking care of yourself with sufficient rest is important! 

But perhaps, you might be wondering, “What if I end up just focusing on myself and don’t produce anything? That would not be efficient, and it surely won’t give me good grades.” Well, it’s not that you should simply ignore your responsibilities. Instead, find your definition of a “balance.” This may seem cliche or overused, especially if you’ve come across motivational speeches or quotes on social media. But getting that balance is essential— giving yourself enough time to rest, rejuvenate and re-energise will help you to be in your best state of mind when you choose to get things done.

How exactly do you achieve this balance?

1. Make time for a social media detox. Switch off your phone or use applications like Flipd (for mobile devices) and SelfControl (for PCs or laptops) that can block certain applications/ websites, allowing you to focus more on the things physically happening around you.

2. Go outside! Have a good time exercising in the outdoors and immersing yourself in nature to clear any negative thoughts. A clear mind will help you focus on your tasks more easily.

3. Reach out to people you trust who can help you navigate your emotions. Sometimes, all you might need to do is have a good, long ranting session with another person and get things off your chest! If you’re having trouble finding help, you can click here and check out this website for some guidance.

4. Write down your emotions and identify what your stressors are, through journaling! This may also include reflecting on things you are grateful for. The app, “Presently” (for Android users) for instance, helps you do this quickly and easily from your phone. It also has a variety of themes you can choose from to set the colours and fonts to your liking, maximising your personal experience with the app! Click this link here for other apps that might be of interest to you.

5. Remember that there is no ‘one solution that fits all.’ Don’t be anxious if what works for others doesn't work for you. Finding something that suits you is a process and might take a lot of trial and error, so don’t give up! Find something that you genuinely love, enjoy and makes you happy.

While productivity-related anxiety isn’t something that can be simply turned off with a switch, we recognise that taking rests and finding the perfect ‘balance’ that suits you might just help you overcome it with time. Send us a message on our social media pages regarding some of your favourite things to do to rest or deal with productivity-related anxiety. We would love to hear your thoughts and hope that this post was useful for you! 

Thanks for tuning in and we’ll see you in our next post :)